


Flattered

by GirlWithTheMousyHair



Category: Sleepy Hollow (TV)
Genre: Driving, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-26 17:57:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3859498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GirlWithTheMousyHair/pseuds/GirlWithTheMousyHair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ichabod misunderstands Abbie's meaning... or does he?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flattered

'Abbie... I'm flattered...'

She turns to face him, frowning, taking her attention off the road.

'What?' He is looking straight ahead, no eye contact. She returns her gaze to the front, none the wiser.

'Truly, I am. But I am a married man.'

Understanding begins to dawn. Abbie shakes her head, slowly at first but speeding up as she sees where this is going.

'No,' she says, firmly, for a moment unable to say anything else. 'No.'

Ichabod's voice is gentle.

'What you're feeling is only natural. We have been through a great many trials, and as many tribulations, and few people could use that word in its literal sense...'

'Will you listen to me?'

'...and so of course we would feel drawn to one another, in some way...'

'I was *not* asking you on a... on a date. Do you even know what a date is? I only asked...'

'...and truthfully, I hold you in the highest regard...'

'...if you wanted to get a slice of pizza. Pizza is food, Crane. Not some kind of post-Revolutionary euphemism.'

'...but I cannot allow you to harbour any hopes that our relationship may become... well, more...'

'I swear to God, if you finish that sentence, I will pull this car over, and I will shoot you.'

 

He pauses, turns his head to her, eyebrow raised.

'Abbie, please. I know this must be hard for you to hear, but don't you think that is a little extreme?'

Glancing sideways again, she sees the spark in his eye, and realises - too late - that he is teasing her. She feels a muddled mix of relief that he wasn't serious, and embarrassment that she thought he was, even for a minute. Less than a minute, even. Thirty seconds. Because there was no way, absolutely no way, that either of them would seriously think of the other as... as...

As what?

A partner? Well, alright, yes.

A friend? Of course.

A suitor? The archaic word popped into her head unbidden, and it was a perfect fit, just the kind of thing Crane would say.

 

She realised she hadn't said anything out loud for too long, and when she flicked another glance in Crane's direction, some of the dry wit had gone out of his expression, to be replaced by sharp-eyed curiosity.

She sighed through her nose, quirking her mouth off to the side to show how little she thought of his sudden foray into playful humour, before closing the conversation, and her train of thought, down.

'No pizza. Fine by me. I'll drop you off.'

'Abbie...'

'Don't.'

 

The next day, he brought her pizza for breakfast. She didn't have the heart to say no.


End file.
